This site was started in a course to support teachers. I have continued to monitor the site. I have added more tutorials and more resources for differentiating learning for students. In this way the access for all has grown. I have met with nine teachers over the last two months to individually help them to monitor the site. I am encouraging the concept that technology is a tool. Even though some received text for online support, I am reviewing them to make sure that the students have the support needed.
Teachers are asking more in-depth questions on the how and why of the interactive board as well as the sites, found by them or provided with texts.
I will continue to monitor this site to support technology integration but will add link to specific technology tools and sites, like Ohio Resource Center or INFOhio, to help with easier maneuverability of the sites. The biggest complaint is in searching for what they need. As a school librarian I know how to use search engines. So i looked at Google and put together a presentation and handy brochure on it. I will link more areas like this to this site and make some things downloadable for teacher easy access.
Lit Now Soc Studies
As a Social Studies teacher and the Learning Standards being adopted, I felt a need to set up a site that would provide the standards and materials to accomplish them Ohio Resource Center has set up their site this way so I started with them. I am adding to the different learning standards outside of the Ohio Resource Center as well as linking for tools to support their student's needs. This has been coming along and I have been helping teachers individually learn how to use search engines and specifically some of these sites.
Giving teachers easy access to resources will benefit them. The need to learn how to maneuver the sites and find what is needed so that they will integrate the technology. Their learning curve is steep because they used it for classes but not to have their student access the material without them.
Continuing with the site is important now that some momentum is being seen by teachers asking for help or just questions or better yet telling me a success story. I have used the resources and evaluating of resources from other FE to help me organize my efforts so that I can have more time with teachers. Personal Finance is newest endeavor of collaboration.
Comments to incorporate changes and make sure I consider in further sites.
Comments on site from Teachers as primary users:
The parenthesis to clarify type is helpful (game).
Add more resources with headings to find easier?
Can we bookmark and then how and where to put resources together for just me?
I like the teaching videos of the methods and strategies.
The side labels were helpful as well as the content table of contents
The resources linked to the standards, like ORC helps, will there be more?
Need a presentation on the sites themselves. It would be helpful to know how you maneuvered through it, like ORC or Teaching History and so forth. Even a link to one would help.
The new research on what’s expected helped a lot
Will you add more sites like Library of Congress?
Comments from students in classes as primary audience of materials:
I don’t like history but I liked looking at pictures and listening to audio tracks, not speeches, to discuss historical events
I liked movie clips to clarify ideas
I liked making my own interactive poster rather than all those reports we usually do, but I think I wrote a lot anyways.
Do you have sites about comics through history, they have a lot to teach, my dad says
Personal Finance
This is a requirement by the state and teachers wanted to investigate it. So I helped them look at the standards and the suggestions for its integration into courses. By using the Notebook program we were able to pull our findings together as well as ideas that we had. Some ideas were in person but many were on Google Drive: documents and the collaboration tools. These were put into the NB for presentation later.
I facilitated and added ideas or clarified ideas for integrating technology. We tried to stay focused on the 'why' we'd use a technology and go beyond engaging the learner. If the information is presented in way that the learner is challenged but not overwhelmed they will stay engaged.
I will continue to organize and pass on information about the uses of technology and/or what is out there that might fit their needs. They will implement the final program so they have to own it and I can offer support. I will attend meeting that I can, I will monitor anything on-line so as to pull people back in or help overcome a roadblock if possible though technology.
Progress Book
Teachers wanted to explore ides for keeping lesson plans and grades on line. So I located some free ones and gave strengths and weakness of each. They had to decide based on their goals which worked best and why. I provided the necessary support as they explored the sites
Making steps intuitive and easy to complete was key. By only teaching or walking them through what they wanted to do, made them stay engaged and continue to ask questions.
Knowing everything possible doesn't mean it need to be dispensed in its entirety. I am planning on how to chunk material into shorter videos or presentations so as to let the learner have control over the environment. Technology is an effective time consuming tool but work has to be put into planning and organizing it so that it meets the expectations. I want surveys to help focus the staff on goals and assessments of meeting goals and then ways to connect the two can be explored without getting overwhelmed.
Integrate SB
This shows two instances when the teacher was having her students use the SMARTboard for lessons. They were using excel. The one student had done a survey on colors. So, I went over with the teacher several examples and the benefit of each before she chose two of them. She learned how to convert from a spreadsheet to a graph. She then was able to show her students how to do the same on the interactive board. The next one was an excel sheet that shows what the student worked on in Starfall. They listed the programs that the teacher told them they needed to work on and they are fill in the dates and time.
The color graph from numbers was well received by the students. Then they started interpreting what they saw before the teacher said anything. It made more sense to them just numbers.
The Starfall spreadsheet sits in their folders, once it's created, so that they can take it to the computer and fill it in. We will take this and convert to a chart to show them how much time they spent and discuss results.
The students took ownership after the teacher felt comfortable enough with the interactive board and the excel program. She could let the students work individually, as they verbalized their actions, because she knew how to help guide them and fix it. I was in the room in case anything else went wrong but it all went well. It was well worth the time with the teacher. Emotions attached to using technology is powerful.
SB Troubleshoot
There is a trouble sheet to check off so that the issue can be resolved. As teachers went through it, there were questions and some weren't on the sheet. With teachers collaboration, I added to the checklist sheet. and designed a chart for easy access that will be put near interactive equipment. In this way the teachers will assume ownership of their technology.
As the teachers problem solved with me, their students joined in. They increased their problem solving skills as they trouble-shoot and learned why. This is a great life skill as technology becomes part of their daily life and will be in their workplace.
The same will be done for new technology, Light Raise. Students can maybe become the tech support to see if there is a problem and where. This way the teachers can keep teaching. When appropriate, the students can help provide solutions, verbally, and discuss the come that their action will create. Technology will become the tool and they will see it as a way to accomplish things,
coursework
Mini-Pages
ePortfolio
Integrate lesson
Wiki Reflections
Mini-pages and ePortfolio is where I expanded my own skills in technology and in it effective application. Each one that I explored and the created o finished product with a goal in mind made me more focused. When completed is also gave me a way to present my own skills.
Demonstrating a skill in a format that I choose was exciting.
For reading and writing summarization was a skill that students needed. So I looked at ways to integrate technology when teaching this skills. So the design process started with lesson on the skills and then what technology had to offer to enhance it. The lesson was presented and we assessed if our goal was met and if technology had hindered or in deed supported it.
The next was in introducing Google Doc as a tools to encourage collaboration between teachers/staff and students. It was presented as a tutorial that could be played as often as needed.
By reviewing what's available or what's been done, more applications open up. Stopping and thinking allows for plans to be made clearer. Each has its own reflection.
I realized what others would be going through in learning a new skill and applying it to their instruction. The phrase 'keep on-going it'll make sense later' was so true as things weren't working and then it came together. This led me back to the step-by step approach but with the big picture in mind.
When the technology took the students into more application and practice, the skill was used and even built on by the students. Those who thought they couldn't do the activity quickly realized that the technology had built in supports and they weren't overwhelmed.
The teachers who viewed the presentation didn't realize what else this tool could do. They used only a part of it and so no application for the rest.
'Search' skill became critical and have a purpose in mind made it easier. I hear people say all the time that it takes too long.
The benefit is to see if anything you thought or knew was reinforced or if you might change.
I will break skills down and support each step so that its available when and if needed. This will let teachers also see the need to do the same with their students. Its not only the skill but the knowledge of how and when to apply it is important also I will always include this in trainings as well.
It's important to understand the concepts of TPACK and SAMR when integrating technology. I will build these into sites and trainings where appropriate. It takes more then just using technology to truly integrate it. By asking the right questions, I can lead staff to realize that the strategies they use is also important.
Starting with tools already known by the staff built-in confidence from the start and then they could relax and take in the new. By breaking a task and skill down it's easier to see what staff will feel more comfortable with and what you can then build on.
Present the steps to search a site or for a site will be beneficial in the end. These are best done with a short video or slides with labels. Reflecting is a step that we often over-look or rush through.
Table of Contents
Now Known Designing
Lit Now Soc Studies
Comments to incorporate changes and make sure I consider in further sites.
Comments on site from Teachers as primary users:
- The parenthesis to clarify type is helpful (game).
- Add more resources with headings to find easier?
- Can we bookmark and then how and where to put resources together for just me?
- I like the teaching videos of the methods and strategies.
- The side labels were helpful as well as the content table of contents
- The resources linked to the standards, like ORC helps, will there be more?
- Need a presentation on the sites themselves. It would be helpful to know how you maneuvered through it, like ORC or Teaching History and so forth. Even a link to one would help.
- The new research on what’s expected helped a lot
- Will you add more sites like Library of Congress?
Comments from students in classes as primary audience of materials:Personal Finance
Progress Book
Integrate SB
The Starfall spreadsheet sits in their folders, once it's created, so that they can take it to the computer and fill it in. We will take this and convert to a chart to show them how much time they spent and discuss results.
SB Troubleshoot
Mini-Pages
ePortfolio
Integrate lesson
Wiki Reflections
Demonstrating a skill in a format that I choose was exciting.
For reading and writing summarization was a skill that students needed. So I looked at ways to integrate technology when teaching this skills. So the design process started with lesson on the skills and then what technology had to offer to enhance it. The lesson was presented and we assessed if our goal was met and if technology had hindered or in deed supported it.
The next was in introducing Google Doc as a tools to encourage collaboration between teachers/staff and students. It was presented as a tutorial that could be played as often as needed.
By reviewing what's available or what's been done, more applications open up. Stopping and thinking allows for plans to be made clearer. Each has its own reflection.
When the technology took the students into more application and practice, the skill was used and even built on by the students. Those who thought they couldn't do the activity quickly realized that the technology had built in supports and they weren't overwhelmed.
The teachers who viewed the presentation didn't realize what else this tool could do. They used only a part of it and so no application for the rest.
'Search' skill became critical and have a purpose in mind made it easier. I hear people say all the time that it takes too long.
The benefit is to see if anything you thought or knew was reinforced or if you might change.
It's important to understand the concepts of TPACK and SAMR when integrating technology. I will build these into sites and trainings where appropriate. It takes more then just using technology to truly integrate it. By asking the right questions, I can lead staff to realize that the strategies they use is also important.
Starting with tools already known by the staff built-in confidence from the start and then they could relax and take in the new. By breaking a task and skill down it's easier to see what staff will feel more comfortable with and what you can then build on.
Present the steps to search a site or for a site will be beneficial in the end. These are best done with a short video or slides with labels. Reflecting is a step that we often over-look or rush through.